In general, detachable dental appliances refer to intraoral structures detachably mounted on the teeth to perform dental functions, for example, functions of protecting the teeth or temporomandibular joint, or maintaining tooth alignment after orthodontic treatment, etc. The detachable dental appliances include a mouth piece, a splint, an orthodontic retainer, an orthodontic aligner, etc. referred to as a transparent orthodontic aligner applying orthodontic force for tooth movement, which may be generally referred to as a mouth guard.
To be more specific, a mouth piece, one example of the detachable dental appliances, is mounted on the teeth to protect the teeth and temporomandibular joint from external shock applied to a face by a punch or a ball, etc. during workouts such as martial arts or ball games, etc., and is made of synthetic resin, rubber, silicone or latex, etc.
For reference, the human teeth form an arch-shaped alignment, that is, a dental arch, which is divided into normal occlusion and malocclusion depending on the location relation of tooth alignment in a state where the lower teeth and upper teeth are engaged with each other.
In the conventional art, general mouth pieces are provided for sports or leports, and are divided into ready-made mouth pieces and mouth pieces customized for individuals. Since the ready-made mouth pieces have reduced functionality, the customized mouth pieces produced in accordance with an individual's mouth structure (tooth alignment; dentition) is preferable. The mouth pieces are mounted on the teeth to prevent damage to teeth or gum, lip, etc. from shock applied from the outside of the face, protect the temporomandibular joint and jaw bone, and further prevent brain damage. Additionally, the orthodontic retainer is detachably attached to the teeth to maintain the tooth alignment.
Meanwhile, when a person is nervous or needs to exert a great strength, he/she may clench his/her teeth as muscle around the mouth becomes nervous. The temporomandibular joint and teeth absorb and disperse a heavy occlusal force (bite force) made at this time. However, when the occlusal force is excessively great or repeatedly occurs, this may give a bad influence on the teeth and temporomandibular joint.
Examples of cases where the teeth are damaged by the heavy occlusal force may be childbirth, workouts requiring a great strength, or physical labor, etc. During childbirth, a mother may clench her teeth due to birth pangs and clench her teeth when applying strain for smooth delivery. The occlusal force made at this time may damage the teeth of the mother and give a bad influence on the temporomandibular joint.
Additionally, the teeth are damaged due to repetition of unconscious grinding or clenching during sleep. As a conventional detachable dental appliance, the mouth piece is effective for protecting the teeth from the external shock applied to a face surface, but is insufficient to prevent damage to teeth due to the occlusion between the upper teeth and lower teeth such as clenching, grinding, etc. Also, there are many problems that the mouth piece is torn out by the heavy occlusal force, or the occlusal force by the clenching is not buffered, but is delivered to the teeth directly, the mouth piece is easily loosened after a predetermined period of use, thereby attenuating attaching property, and the mouth piece changes the tooth alignment between the lower teeth and upper teeth which results in a disorder in occlusion.
Furthermore, there is a problem that due to heavy fitting force, the tooth surface may be damaged when detaching the detachable dental appliance or pain may occur during the detachment. The conventional orthodontic retainer allows a direct contact between the upper teeth and lower teeth, so it is insufficient to protect the teeth from grinding or clenching. The above-mentioned problems also exist in detachable dental appliances in the form of a mouth piece, that is, an orthodontic retainer or a splint, etc.